"I didn't have a great halftime speech," Oklahoma coach Bob
Stoops said. "If you're going to be a championship team, we
have to respond in difficult situations."

Oklahoma did just that, as Brown scored on an eight-yard TD run
to tie the contest with 8:35 left in the third quarter. Brown
put the Sooners ahead with a two-yard TD scamper 1:10 into the
fourth period.

The Cyclones reached Oklahoma's 7-yard line with seven minutes
remaining in the contest, but defensive back D.J. Wolfe
preserved the lead by intercepting a deflected pass in the end
zone.

"We came into halftime and everybody was positive," Oklahoma
quarterback Sam Bradford said. "We knew (Iowa State) was going
to work hard, but everybody stayed positive and we weren't
really concerned."

Oklahoma's Garrett Hartley kicked a 43-yard field goal with 1:34
remaining to clinch the victory.

Oklahoma, which has not lost on the road to Iowa State,
increased its lead in a lopsided series to 67-5-2. In the last
40 meetings, the Sooners have lost only once to the Cyclones.

Still, for more than three quarters the contest was in doubt as
Oklahoma looked nothing like the team that had climbed back into
the top five with consecutive victories over Texas and
Missouri.

"Our defense really kept us in the game in the first half," said
Bradford, who struggled most of the afternoon, completing
16-of-28 passes for only 183 yards. "We were really fortunate
to only be down seven at half and win."

Despite facing the worst defensive team in the Big 12, the
Sooners managed only 109 yards in the first half, including 35
yards on the ground.

On Oklahoma's second possession of the game, running back Allen
Patrick fumbled at the Sooners' 20-yard line. The Cyclones took
advantage of the turnover to take a 7-0 lead on Jason Scales'
two-yard TD run with 4:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Oklahoma had three running backs gain more than 50 yards on the
ground, but redshirt freshman DeMarco Murray was the Sooners'
leading rusher with just 59 yards.

While the Sooners could generate little offense in the first
half, Oklahoma's defense kept the contest close. Iowa State
also missed a pair of opportunities to increase its lead.

With 4:13 left in the half, Brett Culbertson missed a 36-yard
field goal for the Cyclones, who were coming off a 56-3 drubbing
to Texas.

Iowa State quickly got back the ball, as Alan Bell returned
Bradford's interception 28 yards to the Oklahoma 18, but the
Sooners' defense held.

Facing a 4th-and-1 at the 9, Iowa State coach Gene Chizik
elected not to kick a field goal. The move backfired, as Scales
was stopped for a three-yard loss.

"When they had turnovers, we just needed to capitalize," said
Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer, who completed 19-of-31 passes
for 174 yards. "We need to help out our defense more."

The defensive stop gave Oklahoma some momentum, as the Sooners
came out more focused in the second half. They marched 77 yards
on 11 plays on their first possession of the third quarter to
draw even.

"Oklahoma is a great football team," Chizik said. "They can run
it well, they can throw it well, and they kept pounding the
ball until they make it. Their football team is, if not the
best, one of the best teams in the country."

Oklahoma then put together a 14-play, 80-yard drive to take the
lead on Brown's second score.

Bradford kept alive the drive with a 30-yard completion to
Jermaine Gresham on a screen pass on 2nd-and-20 at the Sooners'
45.

Later in the march, Bradford found Juaquin Iglesias for a
16-yard completion that gave Oklahoma a 1st-and-goal at the 4.